The Start of Something New
by a starr in the sky
Summary: When Henry returns from over seas, they experience a somewhat unexpected surprise. How will that go?
1. Chapter 1

**Early Elizabeth and Henry stories are always some of my favourites so I decided to give it a try and write something about it. I'm not satisfied with my work but I've made it far enough into writing it that I dont want to just delete it. Hope at least someone enjoys it! leave review or suggestions if you can! They always help :)**

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Elizabeth and Henry had been married now for a little over two years. In those two years Elizabeth had gotten her dream job as an analyst at the CIA and Henry was a marine fighter pilot, arriving from overseas where he had been deployed for the better part of their marriage.

After a few months of readjusting to each other and their new lives, they had decided they were finally ready to start a family. There was no rush to get pregnant, but they had been actively trying. A lot.

Early one afternoon, Elizabeth was in her office trying to accomplish some work, attempting to find some answers to a case she had recently been assigned by Conrad.

Sitting and reading, she suddenly felt a surge of nausea come upon her. Attempting to suppress it, she was unsuccessful and ran out of her office and headed straight to the washroom. As she was emptying the contents of her stomach, from across the stall she heard someone say "what is wrong with you? are you pregnant or what?!". It was Isabelle. "Shit" she thought. At that moment it hit Elizabeth, the nausea, the fatigue, her emotional state that had Henry concerned. She was pregnant. It had yet to be confirmed but finally piecing all the symptoms together, that had to be it.

After a few moments, Elizabeth was able to catch her breath and answered with a smart remark that her and Henry had gone out to eat the night before and she must have eaten something bad. Isabelle said nothing but she was skeptical. She knew full well it was just a matter of time before Elizabeth and Henry decided to start a family, and with the sheer happiness Elizabeth had been exuberating lately, Isabelle was sure it was related to the amount of sex they were having since he arrived from overseas.

Later that afternoon, Elizabeth and Isabelle were working on a case together when Elizabeth felt the nausea return. She was quiet and tried to be discrete but Isabelle the analyst saw right through her.  
"Bess, what is up with you? Are you sure you're ok?"  
"Yeah, I'm OK" she said unconvincingly, again.  
"If you're not feeling well you can go home, I got this", Isabelle said.

With all the conviction she could muster, Elizabeth unconvincingly told her friend that she was fine and to leave it alone. She made it through the rest of the afternoon, but just barely.

That evening, after work, Elizabeth decided to make a quick stop to the drug store before heading home to her husband. She hadn't yet told him of her suspicion, but he would soon find out.

Henry had noticed his wife wasn't quite herself lately, she was often tired and a little nauseous but he figured she was coming down with the flu. Or maybe she was stressed out due to work and it was finally catching up to her. Henry hated seeing his wife not at her best and he always tried to take care of her but when he didn't know what the problem was, there was nothing he could do to help. He had decided he would make her favourite meal and treat her to a special night in hopes of making her feel better, or to at least make her open up and tell him what was wrong.

Elizabeth walked through the door of their home to find an incredibly sexy looking Henry cooking in the kitchen, she could smell that he was making dinner but before even being able to make out what he was making, the smell made her stomach turn once more.

Henry noticed her presence but before he could even say hi, he was surprised to see her run straight towards the washroom. He followed her and immediately heard what was happening in there. As a supportive husband, he went in to hold her hair and rub her back as she was trying to catch her breath. He just sat with her, trying to be the supportive husband she needed right now. He still didn't understand what was wrong but It didn't take long for him to notice the bag from the pharmacy and its contents that had been haphazardly tosses on the floor.

A pregnancy test.

At that moment, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He realized the symptoms she had been experiencing were probably due to something other than stress or the flu like they had originally thought.

Once she was able to sit up and finally catch her breath, she leaned back against the tub and rubbed her hands over her face. That's when she realized that her husband had noticed what was in the bag and he knew what was happening. Henry gave her the sincerest look that was full of love and she just fell into his embrace. At that moment, they both knew but they needed confirmation.

5 minutes. 5 minutes was a long time to wait for a stick to turn blue. For a result that could potentially change their lives forever.

But there it was. A positive pregnancy test. That was it. She was pregnant. Elizabeth and Henry were expecting a baby.

"Babe" he said in the most loving tone, as he grabbed her and pulled her into his warm and loving embrace. She was crying. Tears of joy. She was having a baby with the love of her life.

Henry noticed her tears, that's what made him break. If there was one thing that broke his heart, it was seeing his beautiful wife cry, whether it was sad or happy tears. When he saw her cry, he shed a few tears himself. He was still in shock but was so incredibly happy that he and his amazingly perfect wife had been able to create a miracle.

It took a few minutes before they were able to recompose themselves and fully process what was happening. After a few minutes of sitting together, Henry realized that supper was still cooking, he thought to himself that the fire alarm had not gone off and nothing smelled burnt so it should be fine, none the less he needed to check to make sure, his only problem was, he didn't want to leave Elizabeth's side, she still wasn't feeling well and was not ready to move just yet, but she knew Henry would be right back.

He went and took the dinner out of the over and opened all the windows in the kitchen, hoping the smell of the food would dissipate outside so Elizabeth could safely make it to the kitchen without her stomach turning again.

When he was finished in the kitchen, he went back to check on his wife but he found her once again over the toilet. He thought to himself that it would be a long pregnancy if the nausea didn't dissipate within a few weeks.

They eventually made it to the living room where Elizabeth was able to lay down on the sofa to relax. The smell of dinner was no longer an issue and she was feeling a little better. Henry sat with her for a while before he had the nerve to ask her if she wanted to eat, but after throwing up what seemed like 3 day's worth of food, he knew she needed something in her system, if not for her but for the baby that was growing inside her.

When he got the nerve to ask her what she wanted to eat, Elizabeth wanted to tell him to fuck off but she knew he meant well and that he was just concerned so she asked him to get saltines and ginger ale to start, in hopes of settling her stomach, then maybe she could think about a meal, though she wasn't convinced she'd be able to keep it down.

After finally being able to eat what to her felt like a full meal, but to Henry only few bites, Elizabeth was more than ready to call it a day and head up to bed. It had been a long day and she was beyond exhausted and more than ready to head to bed and snuggle up to her husband. Henry was willing to do anything for his wife, she was carrying his child after all, the least he could do was hold her while she tried to get some sleep after the rough day she had.

They made their way up to their bedroom and Elizabeth got changed into some comfy pajamas, while she was changing, Henry snuck up behind her to give her sweet kisses on her neck and started rubbing her belly, telling her that she was beautiful, how much he loved her and how lucky he was to be able to call her his wife. Elizabeth's heart soared, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have the perfect husband who was so supportive and loving and would do nearly anything for her. As much as she was enjoying her husband's affection at the moment, she really just wanted to get to bed and he understood that.

She finally crawled into bed and covered herself in blankets, Henry decided it might be a good idea to keep a garbage can next to the bed, in the event she would be sick again, though there was nothing smelly around, he thought better safe than sorry. Elizabeth just laughed, he was so concerned but she found it endearing.

"Babe, I'm going to be fine, just come to bed. The only thing I need is you."

That melted Henry's heart, he couldn't deny her anything so he stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the blankets with her.

"I love you baby" he whispered in her ear.

"Are you talking to me or the other baby", she joked.

"Both" he said as he was snuggling up to spoon her.

She just smiled. She didn't think life could ever be this way, after all she had been through as a child and now her life was beyond any expectation she could have ever dreamed up.

Henry closed the gap between them and pressed his body against her back, she immediately relaxed in his arms and let a heavy breath. Henry wrapped his arm around her slight body and placed his hand on her abdomen, he was still in shock that there was a baby in there and that her belly would get much bigger in only a few months. He couldn't help but smile.

Elizabeth was finally starting to relax when she felt Henry's hand slide on her belly. For her, that made it very real, she knew she was in good hands with her husband and that he would take good care of her and their baby.

With Henry's strong arms wrapped around her, holding her and their baby, Elizabeth drifted off to sleep. Henry laid in bed for a while before he was able to relax enough to fall asleep, he enjoyed watching his wife sleep so peacefully for a few hours.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been about 2 weeks since Henry and Elizabeth found out they were expecting their first child together. They hadn't yet told anyone the happy news in fear that something might happen or not go as planned. Even though they hadn't shared the news, a few people around Elizabeth 's office suspected, due to her consistent runs to the bathroom and her clear lack of appetite during the lunch hour. She had developed certain food aversions in the few weeks since finding out she was expecting and those certain smells would turn her stomach upside down. Even when people talked about the possibility, she continued to deny any claims that she and her husband were expecting.

She guesstimated she was about 8 or 9 weeks pregnant, based on her and Henry's calculations, and they were finally going to see the OBGYN for confirmation, though Elizabeth knew full well she was pregnant, based on the severity of her symptoms.

She took the afternoon off work, claiming Henry's family was in town and wanted to spend some time with them. Isabelle saw right through that excuse because she knew very well that Elizabeth and the McCords did not get along all that well, so it was a little strange she would take time off to spend with them, but she didn't tell Elizabeth of her suspicion.

Elizabeth had gone home to wait for Henry to pick her up so they could go to the doctor's office. He had taken the afternoon off as well, he would not have missed this appointment for anything in the world.

They walked into the office hand in hand, hoping for the doctor to confirm their happy news. Elizabeth got changed into the hospital gown and laid down on the table. Henry was by her side, holding her hand, waiting impatiently for the doctor to arrive. They were both so nervous, fearing that the doctor would tell them something was wrong.

After a few minutes, Dr. Smith arrived. She started by taking blood test, this was the most accurate way to confirm the pregnancy, it would be a few days before the results returned though.

Once finished with the blood test, Dr. Smith decided to try a vaginale ultrasound, if Elizabeth was as far along as she suspected, they might be able to hear a heartbeat, or see a tiny embryo to confirm before the blood test returned.

When Dr. Smith inserted the ultrasound wand, Elizabeth tensed up and let out a hiss. Henry just held her hand and whispered words of encouragement in her ear, "it's ok babe, it'll just be a minute and hopefully we'll be able hear our little girl's heart beat".

Elizabeth smiled and looked up to meet his gaze "our little girl?", she asked inquisitively with a light joking tone.

"Well yeah, you don't think it's a girl?" he asked.

Before Elizabeth could answer, Dr. Smith had interrupted them, "are you two ready?", she asked with a smile on her face. She turned on the sound on the ultrasound machine and the heart beat echoed through the room.

"Oh, my gosh" Elizabeth whispered with tears rolling down her cheeks. Henry was in disbelief, "babe...". When he looked down at her he saw how emotional she was and that made him lose it. This pregnancy was becoming very real, there was their little miracle, a little blob on a black and white screen with a racing heartbeat.

"I'll call you in a few days with the results of the blood work, but as far as I can tell on here, everything looks good so far", the doctor informed them.

"Are you experiencing any symptoms yet?", the doctor asked.

Henry couldn't help but chuckle and Elizabeth let out a grunt with an eye roll.

"I'll take that as a yes then?", said Dr. Smith.

"At first I just felt nauseous and it would come and go and I couldn't pin point what was causing it but after a few days I started actually getting sick. The smell of most foods will trigger it.", she said in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"She really doesn't eat a lot, and that she does eat, she doesn't keep down for long", Henry added.

"Morning sickness is very common, specially in the first trimester, but it usually goes away at about the 12 week mark or so" the doctor explained.

"Yes, well, whoever called it morning sickness clearly didn't actually have it, it's all day all the time", Elizabeth added.

"That's very common. If you really can't keep anything down, and you notice you're losing weight, call me and we'll explore treatments, alright?"

Elizabeth nodded that she understood.

"Any other symptoms?", Dr. Smith inquired.

"She's always tired. I mean she'll come home from work and take a 2 or 3 hour nap, wake up, have dinner and she's back in bed within about 2 hours and she's out for the night. Is that normal?"

"Yes, fatigue is also a common symptom, again, like the nausea, it should get better with time. But if you feel comfortable, you can take some supplementary vitamins that might boost your energy. If there's nothing else, I'll see you in a about 4 weeks when you're about 12 weeks and we'll do another ultrasound" she said.

Elizabeth and Henry thanked the doctor before leaving to return home. They were both over the moon excited for the news that they received at the doctor's office.

Henry was driving home, it was an unusually quiet drive, both the husband and wife were deep in thought about the news they had received. Henry started talking to Elizabeth, sharing how excited he was to start baby shopping and that he would buy all kinds of pink goodies for his baby girl, but he kept talking and never got an answer. That's when he realized that Elizabeth had fallen asleep. He laughed a little to himself but let her get a few minutes rest before they got home. Maybe if she slept in the car, he would get a little more quality time with her at home before she fell asleep again.

"babe, we're home. Wake up beautiful" as he softly peppered her with kisses on her cheek and neck.

She just grunted, she was not ready to wake up.

They made it inside and Elizabeth dropped her jacket, kicked off her shoes and headed straight to the couch to lay down without a word. Henry followed her closely, witting next to her while she lay down.

"you OK babe?" He asked.

"Mmmm" was the only response he received.

"Baby, talk to me, please", as he kissed her head gently. She smiled and opened her eyes.

"I'm so tired Henry. And I feel like shit."

"Let's go up to bed then, it'll be more comfortable for you", he suggested, but she didn't move.

"It's too far", she lamented.

Henry was not about to leave his pregnant wife to sleep on the couch, that was not an option for him. He thought she would be more comfortable in bed, in her pajamas, with him, he just needed to convince her of this.

"Come on beautiful, please, for me?"

He received a grunt in response but at least she started to sit up.

"Are you going to snuggle up with me at least?", she asked sleepily.

"Of course, babe, anything for you", he said as he wrapped his arms around her still slight figure and kissed her on the cheek, "now let's go", he whispered in her ear.

They made their way up to bed and Elizabeth dropped her clothes and went straight under the covers. Henry followed not far behind, getting into bed and snuggle up to her, his chest to her back and draped his arm over her belly, rubbing innocent patterns on her abdomen until she fell asleep.

When she was finally out, Henry let her be and went down to cook her some dinner, but not before taking out some ginger ale and saltines to settle her stomach for when she wakes up. Anything to make her feel a little better, and to get her to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

After attending their 12 week scan and being able to listen to the heartbeat and seeing their little baby that was growing healthily in Elizabeth's belly, they decided it was time to tell their family and friends. The OBGYN had informed them that the risk of a miscarriage or complications decreased significantly after the 12 week mark and so far, everything looked good.

Relief flooded over the couple that everything was progressing normally.

When they returned home, they decided it was time to tell Will as well as Henry's family. He knew that his mother would be over the moon excited about becoming a grandmother once more.

The first call went to Will, she knew her brother was a busy man, he was in medical school and was consumed by his studies but she hoped he had a few minutes so she could share her news.

"Hey lizzie, what's up?"

"Hi, are you busy?", she asked, feeling a little nervous. He was the first persons they were sharing their news with and she didn't know how he was going to react about his sister having a baby. He might have been her little brother but he had always been protective of her after their parents passed away.

"A little, but I can always make time for my sister" he said.

"Well, Henry and I have something to share..." she trailed off, she couldn't spit it out.

"Everything alright?" He inquired.

"Oh yeah, everything is fine, great actually. Umm, Henry and I are umm... we're having baby", she finally spat out.

"Oh my god lizzie! Congratulations to you both! I'm so happy for you!", he was genuinely excited. He knew Henry was the perfect man for his sister since the moment he saw them together. When they got married and he walked her down the aisle, he saw how Henry was looking at her, it was pure love. It was the same way he looked at her every time she walked into a room and every time they met their gaze across the room. And now they were going to have a baby together.

"Thank you, we're really excited!", she exclaimed.

"You know mom and dad would be really excited and really proud of you", he said, knowing his sister was missing them at a time like this. He was trying to send her a little comfort over the phone.

Henry could hear Will on the phone and knew that this would bring up difficult memories for his wife so he braced himself for the flood of emotions that would follow this phone call.

While he was processing this, Elizabeth had already hung up with her brother and was on the verge of tears.

Henry wrapped his arms around his wife and let her cry it out for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be this emotional" she said, sniffling and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No, babe, it's normal for you to feel emotional. It's a hard time to not have your parents around, specially your mom.", he tried comforting her.

"Damn pregnancy hormones" was all she could muster with a slight roll of the eyes.

"You ready to make another phone call?" he asked while giving her a light kiss on the head.

She nodded, "only if you do the talking because I can't do this again".

"Alright, but you have to stay here with me, you know my mom is going to want to talk to you when I tell her".

"I know, just call so we can get this over with". She was too overwhelmed to keep this going for long.

Henry dialed and his mom answered on the second ring.

"Hello Henry, how are you?"

"Hi mom, I'm good, I've got Elizabeth here too."

"Well hello Elizabeth, what did I do to deserve both of you to call"

"Well, Elizabeth and I have some news to share with you", Henry turned to look directly at Elizabeth, he was scared she was going to lose it again but she was sitting next to him with a huge smile on her face.

"Good news I hope?", god forbid it was something bad happening to her kids.

"Yes, yes, it's good news. It's really good news actually", before he could even finish his thought, his mother interrupted.

"No! You're not?! Elizabeth my dear!"

"We're having a baby!", she told her.

"Well congratulations my dears. I'm very happy for you! Elizabeth love, how are you feeling?", she asked. She knew this would likely be a rough time for Elizabeth, not having her mother for support through this crazy time. She wanted to offer her support anytime she might need it.

"I'm feeling pretty good now, but I was pretty sick for the last few weeks. And I've been really tired, but overall not too bad" she explained.

"Well that's good honey. You know you can call me anytime for anything, and I mean that, anything. You'll probably have a million questions so don't be shy, dear."

"I will, thank you". Henry's mom was always so sweet and supportive and it felt so good to have someone to talk to about what was happening to her body. She was only a few months along but she was already experiencing some changes and to have someone to talk too who had been through it before was incredibly helpful because her own mother wasn't there.

The next day, Elizabeth and Henry had decided that after telling their families, that they would tell their co-worker about the pregnancy.

Elizabeth had made an appointment with Conrad Dalton, the director of the CIA to inform him of her news and inquire about taking her maternity leave in a few months' time.

"Bess, how are you?"

"I'm very well sir, thank you" she answered. To say she was a little nervous was an understatement. She felt like her heart was beating out of her chest, she felt nauseous and she was shaking like a leaf. She knew he would likely be supportive, but she was nervous of his reaction none the less.

"What can I do for you?" He asked. He could tell she was off, his best rookie analyst was never off her game but as she stood in front of him he knew something was going on.

"Um, sir, I um..." she trailed off. He was just looking at her, waiting for her to spit it out.

"I'm pregnant sir" she finally told him.

"Bess, congratulations!" He was genuinely excited for her. He and his wife had just gone through having a baby and he now had a 2-month-old at home. He was all too familiar with what Elizabeth was going through and would be experiencing in the next several months.

When she told him and realized that he was supportive and happy for her, she was able to take a breath and relax a little but she still felt the anxiety within.

After their conversation, she left Conrad's office. As she was walking down the hallway, she started feeling a little light headed but she chalked it up to the anxiety and stress she had just experienced, she knew it wasn't good for her, or the baby, but she couldn't help it. Henry had told her in the morning to not stress and that it wouldn't be a big deal but she felt it was out of her control.

She almost made it to her office but as she was walking down the hall, she could feel herself getting tired, but she just kept pushing.

"Bess? Bess?! Elizabeth?" But she wasn't answering. Isabelle was calling her name but she was unable to get an answer. Isabelle could clearly see that her friend was not feeling well, she was looking very pale, she was weaving from side to side as she was walking and she was not at all hearing that she was talking to her. She could see that she had just left the director's office, she was wondering what had happened in there that could have led to this reaction but before Isabelle could even make her way to help her, Elizabeth fell to the ground.

Everyone rushed around her making sure she was still breathing and to try to figure out what was happening. It didn't take long for Elizabeth to come too. Isabelle, Juliette and George had her laying down on her back, George had fetched a cold paper towel to put on her forehead, she was burning up. Elizabeth opened her eyes and was incredibly confused as to what was happening, she didn't have any recollection of what had just happened which was causing her even more anxiety. She thought to herself that this could not be good. Before she could wrap her brain around what was happening around her and before she could say anything, Conrad heard the commotion outside his office and ran out to see what was happening. That's when he saw Elizabeth on the ground, though she was being well take care of.

"Bess, what happened? He inquired.

"Sir, we don't know, she was walking back to her office and she just dropped" confirmed Juliette.

"I'm fine" she was finally able to say, though if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't have heard her, she was speaking so low and without energy.

"Bess, you're clearly not fine, you're going to the hospital" Conrad chimed.

"Sir, maybe if we just give her a minute?". George didn't seem to think it was a big deal, she fainted and that could because by anything and it's not usually serious but little did he know about Elizabeth's current health situation.

"There's no question about it. Someone will call her husband and she is going to the hospital" he reiterated.

Juliette and George thought it was a little excessive but they listened to their boss. Elizabeth agreed with them, she didn't think she needed to go. By this time, she was sitting up against the wall and had regained a little colour to her face but she still didn't feel all that well. She figured just a little sleep would help but Conrad wouldn't take no for an answer. And she knew as soon as Henry was involved that was it. "Really, you don't have to call henry, I'll be fine" she tried to convince them.

Isabelle was having none of it. "Bess, I swear to god I will drag you to the hospital myself and I know for a fact that Henry would not be against me doing anything in my power to get you there. He would never risk the safety of his wife and child. You are going" she finally told her.

Elizabeth was in shock. How did she know? Did Conrad say something when she was out? Did she tell her before she fainted? She had no idea but she finally agreed. She knew if she didn't henry would be upset, and Isabelle was right, this was not just her heath anymore, but her baby's health. Then panic set in once again when she made that realization. What if something is wrong with the baby?! What if she did something to hurt her precious baby. At this point she started to panic, her breathing was out of whack again, the colour drained from her face once more.

"Elizabeth, you're ok, deep breath, deep breath", Isabelle and Conrad were trying to coach her. The director had sent Juliette and George away, he figured the crowd was too much and was having an effect on her. The less people crowding her the better. He had discretely asked Juliette to call henry and inform him that Elizabeth was being taken to hospital. He knew this phone call wouldn't go well, henry would lose him mind. Something happened to his wife and no one knew what exactly that was.


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth finally regained enough energy to get up, but not without the help of her coworkers. She still had no idea what had happened to her but she was finally willing to go to the hospital and get checked out. Conrad and Isabelle managed to get her to the car and Isabelle drove her to the hospital.

In the meantime, Juliette made the dreaded phone call to Henry to inform him of what has happened. She knew this wasn't going to go well, Henry was quite protective of Elizabeth and she knew he would be incredibly worried, but Juliette was still unaware of Elizabeth's pregnancy and didn't realize how serious the situation could be.

"Hi Henry? Its Juliette."

"Hi, yes, what can I help you with", he inquired. He had a moment of confusion before realizing, if Juliette was calling him and not Elizabeth, something was likely wrong.

"I don't know how to tell you this but Elizabeth fainted at work, Conrad demanded she be taken to hospital so Isabelle is on her way now with her", she told him.

"Oh.." he thought, his mind not quite processing what was being said to him. "Is.. is she ok? What happened?", he had about a million questions but he figured these were good to start.

"She was leaving the director 's office and she collapsed. She woke up quickly but she was drained. Conrad demanded she be taken to hospital. When she woke up she was coherent so I don't think it's serious but she's going to get checked out."

"I, um, yeah, I'm on my way. Thank you", he told her before hanging up the phone. He rushed to pack his belongings from his office and was off the meet his wife at the hospital. On his way there, his mind was going a mile a minute and he was envisioning all the worst-case scenarios that could be happening to Elizabeth, and their baby.

Elizabeth and Isabelle made it to the hospital and after telling the nurse in the ER she was pregnant, they rushed her to the maternity ward to hook her up to all kinds of monitors to check the baby's heartbeat. After strapping everything on, they did an ultrasound, the doctor determined that everything was fine and that the baby's heartbeat was strong and healthy. But this did not answer any questions about what happened to Elizabeth so they drew some blood and ran a few more tests before the doctors and nurses left. When it was finally just Isabelle in the room, Elizabeth asked her how she knew she was pregnant.

Isabelle laughed, "no one spends that much time in the bathroom puking their guts out when they're not pregnant."

Elizabeth just gave her a look, as if to say "ya, ya, whatever".

"I've suspected since the day I caught you throwing up the first time, I was kidding when I asked you if you were pregnant but the next few days confirmed my theory. I didn't tell anyone though, but a few people suspected too", she added.

"I tried to hide it but when you feel like shit its hard" she joked. "Did someone call henry to let him know I'm here? He'd want to know, and I want him here just in case...". She didn't finish her sentence but Isabelle knew what she meant.  
"He's on his way Bess, he'll be here soon".

"It's not that you're not good company really but I know he's going to be worried", trying to be polite but saying that she wanted her husband over her friend.

"I'll go when he gets here, but I wasn't leaving you here alone, Henry would have killed me" she joked.

At that moment, Henry arrived and barged in the room in a huff, he had no idea what was happening or what was going on. " Elizabeth, what happened?!" He asked, clearly out of breath and freaking out a little. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, his way of making sure she knew he was here and supporting her.

"I'm ok henry, I just fainted. It's no big deal", she tried convincing him.

Isabelle chimed in, saying it was a big deal and that's why she's here.

"Babe, it's a big deal if you're not feeling well, how's baby girl doing? Is everything ok?", he was getting a little scared that she hadn't said anything but she wasn't hysterical so it couldn't be that bad.

"Heartbeat is strong. I'm hooked up to all these contraptions to monitor her heart but everything is fine" she told him.

He gave her another kiss before turning his attention to Isabelle. "Thank you" he said, "thank you for bringing her in and staying with her".

"Anytime, but I'm going to go. Keep me updated ok?" She asked Elizabeth.

"Of course, I'll talk to you tomorrow" she smiled, "thank you again".

"If I see you at work, I'm dragging you home myself, at least take a few days off to rest, you deserve it" she told her friend before leaving the room and returning to work.

"She's right, you should take a few days off after this", henry told his wife.  
"We'll see what the doctor says", she told him.

"Elizabeth, this must be your husband, hi, so I've gotten your blood work back, everything seems fine. Heartbeat is staying strong and I didn't see anything abnormal on the ultrasound. The only concern I have is your blood pressure, it's a little elevated and that can have some pretty serious effects in regard to pregnancy. I would recommend a few days off work to rest but you should be as good as new in a few days, but you need to take it easy for the rest of your pregnancy, eliminate as much stress as you can. This episode was likely due to stress and anxiety which leads to high blood pressure. You seem to have a pretty supportive husband, so hopefully he can help you with relaxing and taking it easy for the rest of your pregnancy, if not this could be a lot worse next time " , he warned.

"Thank you so much doctor. We appreciate it" henry told him. "So, when can she go home?", he asked.

"I'd like to monitor both of you for a few more hours to make sure your blood pressure goes down before I let you leave, alright? So, try to take it easy".

After leaving the hospital and spending 4 days on bedrest, Elizabeth was losing her mind. She needed to do something but Henry spent every waking hour serving her hand and foot and getting her anything and everything she wanted and needed. She appreciated it but she needed to do something for herself, and she needed to get out of bed and go further than the bathroom or the kitchen, but Henry wouldn't let her lift a finger.

"Henry, we're fine, I promise, I can get up and walk around" she protested. "I'm tired of lying in bed all day, it's nice when you're in there with me but we can't even do anything" she joked.

"I know, I'm just worried about you, and my little girl in there." As he put his hand on Elizabeth's belly. "She's getting bigger".

"I know. She's growing inside of me." She said dryly. "My pants don't even button anymore".

"It's ok babe, I still think you're beautiful, belly or no belly", he said, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a loving kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth was now about 17 weeks pregnant, she had a visible bump and people could clearly tell she was pregnant. She was glad about making it past the point where she just looked fat and not pregnant though Henry would never let her believe she wasn't beautiful either way.

She had been back to work for a few weeks after taking a few days off to rest and she was feeling much better but Henry continued babying her while she was home and making sure she wasn't stressing about anything and wasn't over exerting herself in anything she did. Conrad and her other coworkers did the same at work and it drove her crazy. She kept telling then she was fine and that she did not need to get babysat while trying to do her work, but they insisted.

She was now pretty much symptom free. She didn't need to sleep for 18 hours a day and she was able to eat normal meals at normal times without major issues, though from time to time henry would still make something that made her stomach turn and she just couldn't bring herself to eat, but he was always understanding. He had started a list early in her pregnancy to note what she could handle and not, just so he could remember when making dinner and but was gradually getting shorter, though a few items were consistently an issue.

Now, Elizabeth's major pregnancy symptom was being horny. All the time. Henry wasn't complaining, at all, but he was getting a little tired. He enjoyed sex as much as the next guy, and he truly believed his wife was incredibly hot and sexy, but several rounds a day, every day, was getting to him. On the plus side, he always enjoyed pleasing his wife, seeing her orgasm is what really got him going so now that she was always horny, he could make her cum often. And the pregnancy hormones increase her pleasure and it was mesmerizing to watch her cum, that, he could do every day and it would never get old.

That morning, before work, Elizabeth woke up early, she had to pee... again, but she decided that rather than try to get back to sleep, she'd wake henry up with a surprise.

She started kissing his bare chest, making her way up to his neck. She kissed and sucked on his neck before biting his ear and whispering "wakey wakey baby". That got henry's attention and he let out a soft moan, she knew exactly how to get him going. She gave him a kiss on the lips and he deepened it, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close to him. She started rubbing her hand on his chest, he was still laying in his back and she was laying on her side, leaning against him. She moved her hand down his body, making her way to his boxers and running her hands over his bulge. He was hard. She drove her hand in his boxers, grabbing hold of his erection and pumping him a few times. "Mmmm, this is a good way to wake up" he told her. He had one hand on her ass, grabbing as much of it as he could, trying to roll her on top of him. Damn his wife had a nice ass, specially now where she had a gained a few pounds, he was really enjoying her huge breasts and nice butt. They were very much enjoying each other's bodies, touching each other where ever they could. She was getting ready to mount him when they both froze.

Henry looked at her, shocked and confused, she looked at him and had a huge smile on her face. She brought her hand to her belly and started rubbing. "Was that...?" he asked hesitantly, she nodded and moved her hand to take henry's and place it on her abdomen. It happened again, as soon as he had his hand on her belly, "that's my little girl" he said proud as he kissed her tenderly on the lips, continuing to rub her belly.

The sexy moment was over, but they weren't concerned. This was such a momentous occasion, they were both able to feel their baby move and kick around in Elizabeth 's belly.

She laid back down on her back with Henry hovering over her belly, talking to his baby girl and rubbing her abdomen. Elizabeth was so in love at that moment, watching her husband fawn over her and their baby made her so incredibly happy and grateful.


	6. Chapter 6

Elizabeth was now 6 months pregnant, she was entering her third trimester of pregnancy and so far, she was feeling pretty good. She had not been plagued by morning sickness in months, her appetite was pretty much back to normal, though with a few cravings from time to time which Henry more than willingly complied in accommodating, as weird as they were. She was still horny, her hormones running wild but again, henry was more than happy to help his wife whenever her could, several times a day usually. Elizabeth enjoyed her husband, and was happy that he didn't mind her requests but she was getting larger and gaining weight and feeling self-conscious about her body. At first it didn't bother her, she could see the difference in her body because she realized it was for her baby but now she was starting to get quite a bit larger, nothing fit, she had a hard time moving around and she couldn't get comfortable to save her life. She often made remarks on her weight and her size but Henry refused to let her believe it. He thought his wife was absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful woman he'd laid eyes on, and now she had that pregnancy glow and he was mesmerized by her beauty. He tried to remind her daily, especially when she made self-deprecating comments. He refused to let her believe she was anything but perfect, but it wasn't that easy.

Her hormones were not just affecting her sex drive, they were affecting her emotional state as well, that, henry had a harder time dealing with this. He could handle all the sex, he could handle her cravings, the stress, really anything at all, but when she got upset over anything and everything, he had a hard time getting her to return to reality.

Anything would set her off, a tv commercial, anything cute, any babies, anything sad, anything Henry said, work, really, anything at all, and Henry didn't know how to handle it. Usually his wife was pretty closed off, and it took her a while to open up and be emotionally open with anyone, including Henry. Now, she was so emotional, that she got emotional about being emotional and she didn't know how to make it stop. She would get angry over minimal things that her husband did, even if he did it out of love but other time, if he did something sweet, she would cry because he's was being so understanding, if he said one wrong thing though, she would lose it.

She had gotten home from a long day the office, she knew Henry would be home when she got there and she couldn't wait to fall in his arms and forget the day. As she was getting closer to becoming a mother, she found it increasingly difficult to deal with the tragedies of work without getting too invested and today was one of those days and she just needed her husband's support.

"Hey beautiful" he said with a smile and a wink.

She dropped her purse, her briefcase, her coat and kicked off her shoes, never losing eye contact with Henry, he knew something was wrong but he didn't know if it was something he did or said, or if it was work, these days he never knew.

She was about to lose it and couldn't get anything out.

"Baby..." he said, with so much love, "what's wrong?".

"I don't know" she cried.

"You don't know?" he replied, he trying to be sympathetic but he still couldn't understand what she was going through.

"I don't know, it was just a long day, I just need you ok?", almost begging for her husband.

Henry had started dinner, he tried to plan a romantic evening for Elizabeth, she deserved it after all but by the looks of it, she might not be in the mood.

"Come here babe", he dropped what he was doing and opened his arms to his wife, it didn't take much convincing to get her in his arms.

She laid her head on his shoulder, her face tucked under his neck. He had one of his arms wrapped around her back and the other running through her flowing blond hair and just let her for a few minutes.

As she was leaning into his embrace, her protruding belly was against Henry's abdomen so he could feel the kicks coming from Elizabeth's belly. Their little baby was quite energetic and rarely calmed down these days. Henry couldn't help but smile at the feeling of his baby's movement. As much as seeing his wife upset, upset him, his baby girl could change that.

After composing herself and being able to have dinner with her husband, they'd decided to continue a previous conversation that had started on baby names. They still had a few months to decide before the baby arrived but they were still nowhere near settling on a name.

Henry mentioned a few girl names, still sure he was going to have a daughter, Elizabeth was unsure if Henry 's prediction and was a bit more pragmatic, she was looking up boy and girl names just in case.

Caroline, Emily, Melanie, Stephanie, Christine where all being thrown out. Nicolas, Matthew, Samuel and Jason were being suggested as well but nothing was grabbing at them. The pressure of finding the perfect name was tough. They eventually decided that they would make a list of favourites and when the baby arrived, they would decide because over the past several weeks, they were getting nowhere on deciding names.


	7. Chapter 7

This third trimester of pregnancy was going to be the death of her. She wasn't sure shed make it to the end, she hurt everywhere, in places she didn't know she had, she was beyond uncomfortable, she couldn't move, nothing fit and she was still incredibly hormonal. If it wasn't for her near perfect husband, she would have lost her mind already.

She was now in her eighth month of pregnancy and nearing her due date, thank god, she thought because she wasn't sure she could be pregnant much longer.

Henry was still incredibly supportive and made sure she was well taken of throughout her entire pregnancy. This included foot rubs and back massages at the end of long days, making dinner before she got home and making sure she was as comfortable as she could get at this point. She didn't do a whole lot of moving when she got home, in her third trimester she had gotten into the habit of napping after work again, which henry was understanding of, she did have an almost full grown baby in her belly and he couldn't even imagine how exhausting that must be.

At work, her colleagues were supportive, anything she needed they would help with, if that meant she had to leave early for doctor's appointments of take days off because she wasn't feeling well or she was tired, they understood. Not that it happened a lot but from time to time.

Isabelle and Juliette had organized an office baby shower and gotten Elizabeth plenty of goodies for the baby. Bottles, soothers and onesies for days. They figured she wouldn't be at work much longer, she looked like she was about to pop so they thought better to have it early.

The afternoon after her work baby shower, Elizabeth had another OB/GYN appointment and Henry had made sure to clear his schedule to go. He had not missed an appointment yet and he was not about to start now.

The couple met at the doctor's office, the intention being that Elizabeth takes the afternoon off and goes home and Henry would return to work. This didn't go quite as planed after speaking with the doctor.

Elizabeth was being poked and prodded by the doctor and the nurse, having all kinds of tests run on her and the baby. She had not had any issues since her health scare early in her pregnancy she was able to manage her blood pressure without any trouble... until today.

Dr. smith and checked the baby's heartbeat with an ultrasound and everything look good, the baby was measuring right, was head down and had started dropping a little, all god signs at this point in her pregnancy. The concern Dr. smith had was once again related to her blood pressure, it was unusually elevated, likely due to stress but being this far in her pregnancy, the doctor was not willing to let it go.

When they were informed of this news, Henry's initial reaction was panic, he had read about preeclampsia and knew how serious it could be on mother and baby. Elizabeth's heart sank when the doctor told her, she was also aware of the risks that came with high blood pressure and preeclampsia. Henry held her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead to show his support but they were both worried at this point. Would Elizabeth be ok? Would the baby be ok? How long could they prolong labor if it doesn't go down? What if the baby comes today?! They weren't ready for that he thought.

Dr. smith informed them that she wasn't presently in any imminent danger and neither was the baby and that they would try to regulate it so it does not get worse, it was not yet at the point of no return and could likely be managed. If her blood pressure was elevated due to stress, it would go down within a few days, if it was a more serious matter, it would continue going up and then they would intervene.

This meant that Elizabeth was not returning to work. Dr. smith put her on strict bedrest until her blood pressure could be managed and being so far along in her pregnancy, she wouldn't be going back to work even if it was under control. Elizabeth was not thrilled of being put on bedrest but she knew that this was currently her best option to help her and her baby. Henry was happy she would finally be taking it easy, he knew she was stressed over work and had repeatedly told her through her pregnancy that it was not good, now, she would finally have to listen.

They were told to return in a week and they would run more tests to determine what the next course of action would be, but until then, Elizabeth was to be on bedrest and relax.

Henry was overly concerned about his wife and his baby and was determined to take Elizabeth straight home, he would figure out how to get her car home later, right now she needed to rest. Elizabeth had a different plan, she wanted to stop by the office and inform Conrad of the news in person, rather than the doctor letting him know. Henry was not fond of the idea but decided he would tag along with her, he could understand her request, as unreasonable as he thought it was.

Henry and Elizabeth walked hand in hand into the CIA headquarters, Elizabeth waddling her way to the director's office. Her coworkers were confused as to what she was doing back at work, and even more confused as to what her husband was doing at her work.

After speaking with Conrad, he was livid that she had come back to work, telling her she should have just called and she should be home resting. When she joked that that's what Henry had told her, he sided with him. "Bess, get yourself home now, and if I see you back in this office before the end of your maternity leave, I will fire you, and I know Henry will agree with me" he joked. "Yes sir" was all she could tell him.

On her way out of the office, she promised her coworkers she would keep them updated once the baby arrived, which they were all thrilled about. They had gotten attached and were so happy for the couple.

When they got home, Henry made sure Elizabeth went to lay down, hoping to get her to relax but with the gravity of the situation finally setting in, it was easier said than done.

She was playing out the worst-case scenarios in her mind, what if something happened to her, or worse to the baby. She couldn't fathom how she or Henry would deal with something happening to their precious baby, and she knew Henry would lose it if something happened to her as well.

She laid down in bed and Henry snuggled up with her to watch a movie. She tried to convince him to go back to work but he would hear none of it. He wanted to make sure his girls were ok. He was thinking the same thing as Elizabeth but neither of them saying it out loud for fear it might happen, it was a realistic possibility that they didn't want to imagine.

Lying in bed, Elizabeth could not get comfortable, she was wearing one of Henry 's t-shirt, it was the only thing that would fit her giant belly, and she refused to wear pants around the house for several weeks now, it was too uncomfortable. Henry did everything he could to get her comfortable. They had bought a body pillow along with several sleeping pillows and she was utilizing all of them regularly to get comfy. She finally got comfortable and Henry snuggled with her but it didn't take long for her to have to pee. It seemed these days anytime she moved she had to pee, this time was no exception.

She grunted as she tried to get up, but with her size at the moment, getting up was not an easy task. Henry was more than happy to help her up, following her to the bathroom. That's were she drew the line though, she may need help with a lot of things right now, but peeing was not one of them.

When she returned to bed, she was in the same dilemma as before, trying to get comfy. The baby had woken up and was squirming like crazy in her belly. Henry again tried his best to help but nothing was working. She eventually found a position that worked for her, henry rubbed her belly for a few minutes, talking to his baby girl, trying to get her to calm down. He was the baby whisperer and could usual get the baby to relax, or at least stop squirming enough for Elizabeth to relax. Once he was able to calm down his baby girl, he gave Elizabeth a much-needed back rub, she fell asleep shortly after. Henry was thankful she was able to relax enough to get some sleep, he figured he would take the opportunity to get some work done before she got back up.

Before heading down to get some work done, Henry stopped by the nursery that he and Elizabeth had completed a few days prior. It was all decorated and everything was in its place. It was perfect. Henry was still convinced they were having a girl but they had decided to keep the nursery gender neutral just to be sure, though he still had no doubts. He stood at the doorway a few minutes and just stared around, taking it in and thinking about the new chapter in his life and his new responsibilities as a father.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there but he snapped out of his day dream quickly when he felt arms reach around his torso, hugging him from behind.

"What are you doing?", she asked softly, clearly still half asleep.

He turned around and held her in his arms, she was leaning against his chiseled chest. "Babe, you should be in bed resting, what are you doing up?". He was genuinely concerned for her.

"I had to pee" she said dryly, "and you weren't there anymore, I was wondering what you were getting up to."

Henry gave her a sweet kiss before suggesting she head back to bed. "I'll go make some food, go back to bed babe, I won't be long I promise".

"Fine... can we order Chinese, baby girls got a craving" she teased.

"What baby girl wants, baby girl gets" he teased back. But it was true, anything Elizabeth wanted, he would do everything in his power to get it for her, same thing went for his soon to be little baby. Elizabeth knew that was Henry 's weakness and she took advantage of it when she could, getting foot rubs, back massages, any craving she might have had Henry would get it for her.

Elizabeth made her way back to bed, it had only been a few hours and she was already over being on bed rest, she thought to herself that this would be a long month.

Henry went downstairs and ordered some Chinese food. While waiting for it, he was able to do a little bit of work. Once it arrived, Elizabeth had heard the door and started to waddle her way down stairs. Henry caught her mid-way questioning her as to what she was doing.

"I'm going to get food, what are you doing? she retorted back.

"I'm bringing you food, in bed, while you are on bed. Rest.", he made sure to put the emphasis on the "bed rest". He told her, a little more contrary than he had wanted it to come out. He knew as soon as he had finished his sentence that Elizabeth was not going to have a good reaction and he braces himself.

"Don't talk to me like that" she spat back. "I'll get up if I feel like it. I may be on bed rest but I am not bed ridden, Henry." She stood before him clearly exhausted, with one hand supporting her lower back and the other around big belly.

He softly whispered back to her, hoping to get her to calm down, "I know babe I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that". He looked down, he clearly felt bad for speaking to his wife the way he did but Elizabeth was not having it today, she was stressed enough as it was and she wasn't supposed to be stressed at all.

" just because you think I should do something, doesn't dictate what I can or cannot do. I am fine to get up for whatever I please when I want and if you're going to be like that, I'd rather you not stay home and you go to work."

He knew better than to say the words "calm down" but he needed a way to subtly say it, but she was the expert in that being an analyst and all.

"Baby I'm sorry, I know you don't need me to tell you what to do, I was just worried about my girls." He'd hoped if he brought he baby into this she would calm down, it worked a little but she was still mad. "Yup, I fucked up", he thought to himself, he should have known better than to tell her what to do. Elizabeth had always been independent, particularly since her parents had passed away so being told what to do by anyone didn't usually go over very well.

Before she could bitch him out some more over his comments, she clutched her belly clearly trying to suppress the pain, she was breathing heavy trying to breathe through the pain. Henry went into panic mode, his initial thought went to worst case scenario, Elizabeth was going into labor because of her blood pressure and it was his fault and what if something happened to the baby because of it, what if something happens to Elizabeth. She quickly released a deep breath and was able to stand up straight, she had been surprised by the feeling but was not panicking, until she saw Henry 's face, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was usually cool calm and collected in high stress situations but he couldn't control it today.

"What was... was that a... are you?", he couldn't finish a coherent sentence but she knew what he meant.

"I'm fine Henry, I just need to relax" she told him, "but first I need to eat".

"Babe, if you're in labor, we need to call the doctor, it could be serious."

"I'm fine, ok. It was one contraction, it was probably a Braxton-hicks contraction anyway, Dr. Smith warned me about those."

"Dr. Smith also warned us about your blood pressure and the dangers of it getting higher". He tried being soothing and comforting but he wasn't sure if she would receptive to his comment.

"I know babe, but I know my body, I don't think it was serious, if its persistent and it gets worse we'll call, ok?", she had finally started to calm down, Henry was grateful.

"Ok babe". He gave her a kiss and took her in his arms and ran his hands up and down her back, gently.

"Henry"

"Yeah babe", he answered.

"We're going to have a baby" she said.

"Yeah, we are" he said breathy.

They stood there in silence, holding each other close before Elizabeth claimed she and baby girl were still hungry.

They l made their way down to the kitchen where they sat and had dinner before snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie.

Through that night, Elizabeth didn't have any other contractions. She thought maybe it was baby way of telling her to calm down.

Henry was just a protective of them, but he was a little more silent and subtle about it, or so he thought. Elizabeth knew what he was doing but didn't have it in her to break it to him that he was not as discrete as he thought he was being but after cooling down, she realized he was just trying to help.

She laid down on the couch, propped up against the arm of the sofa with pillows supporting her, Henry was at the other end rubbing her feet as they watched the movie. Apparently baby girl was happy her mommy was relaxing because she was extremely hyper most of the evening, to the point where Elizabeth 's belly was moving around enough for henry to comment on the movement. He could see little feet and little arms moving through Elizabeth 's shirt. He took the opportunity to talk to his little girl and tell her how excited he was for her to be here soon but to stay cooking in her mommy's belly a little longer. He told her to be good to her mommy and not play with her bladder too much. Elizabeth laughed at her husband's comments but she couldn't get enough of henry being so sweet to their unborn child.

"You ready to go to bed babe?", he asked her when the movie finished.

Elizabeth was already half asleep on the sofa "mmm, I don't want to get up" she grunted.

"Babe, you'll be much more comfortable in bed, with blankets, and me..." he tried convincing her.

"Yeah but I have to move" she grumbled.

Henry started peppering her with kisses, hoping he wouldn't piss her off but still trying to get her up.

"You're going to have to help me up Henry. I can't do it on my own." She told him, she was a little embarrassed to ask even if it wasn't the first time during her pregnancy.

"Of course, sweetheart, here give me your hands", he was so loving and supportive, she didn't know how she got so lucky to have him in her life.

Once upstairs in their bedroom, Elizabeth made one last stop to the bathroom before getting into bed with her husband. When she walked out of the washroom, Henry was in only boxers, god he looked good naked she thought to herself. With a big kick in her ribs, she was brought back to reality and reminded that her body was not as attractive as her husband's, thanks to the insane amount of weight she had put on and the giant belly that was wiggling around.

"You ok?" He asked when he noticed her in a daze.

"Perfect" she smiled back.

"I know you're perfect, that's not what I asked" he joked.

"I was just admiring the sexy naked man that was laying in my bed, as one does" she teased.

"Well I'm admiring my very hot wife who is hopefully about to join me in bed".

"Do you have another wife that I don't know about?", she asked.

"Of course, not babe, you're my one and only, I'm waiting for you" he told her.

"Sorry you said hot wife, I didn't think you were talking about me". She gestured to her body that she was clearly self-conscious about.

"Elizabeth, you know I think you're beautiful, I tell you every day of how beautiful you are, and I think you're very hot. Now come here so I can feel you up" he joked, kinda.

"Well that's romantic" she teased back before crawling into bed and snuggling up to her husband. "Ok, I'm actually comfortable right now so you're not allowed to move ever" she told him, her very pregnant body draped over his fit figure. He didn't mind, he enjoyed having her cuddle up and now he could rub her belly and feel his baby kicking and squirming while she snuggled up on him. Plus, her boobs were up against his chest which he enjoyed anyway, especially now that they are enlarged and huge. Really was enjoying her pregnant body, even if she didn't. Elizabeth never doubted her husband, but the fact that he was telling her he enjoyed her pregnant body and thought she was beautiful, she was convinced he was full if crap and just saying it to make her feel better. Henry on the other hand, whole heartedly believed his wife was stunning, pregnant or not.


	8. Chapter 8

She had been on bed rest for 2 weeks now, her due date was 2 weeks away and she knew she would be having a baby very soon. After seeing her doctor last week, her blood pressure was under control but she needed to stay on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy to ensure hers and the baby's health. Her and Henry had prepared as much as they could and seemed to be as ready as they could be to welcome a new baby into the world.

After a night of restless tossing and turning and several trips to the bathroom, Elizabeth had managed to get a few hours if sleep thanks to her husband's help. He was up most of the night rubbing her back, she was having a lot of pain and discomfort which made it increasingly difficult to get comfortable in bed. She felt bad keeping him up, she knew he had work to do the next day but he was more than happy to help his wife. He would do anything to make her feel better. He knew she had not been feeling well and was increasingly uncomfortable and in pain. She had been having contractions on and off for a few days but nothing was moving along. The baby had dropped and was low in her pelvis which is what was causing most of her discomfort, but henry could do little to help with that.

She had finally managed to fall asleep, her body pillow supporting her belly and between her legs, along with a few other pillows for good measure. Henry had spent most of the night rubbing her back, trying to relieve some of the pressure she was feeling, apparently, it worked because she fell asleep. Henry snuggled up, spooning her from behind and fell asleep shortly afterwards. He knew she would be up soon.

At about 9 am the next morning Henry woke up before her, she hadn't moved all night and he was still laying behind her. He didn't move in fear of disturbing her, he thought she could use all the sleep she could get and didn't dare move and wake her up. He laid there, enjoying the view. She had kicked off all the covers through the night and she was sleeping in only one of his t-shirts, her long blond hair in his face, her hand wrapped around her big belly. The sun was shining in the window, through the curtains and illuminating the room, casting an angelic glow upon his already glowing wife. He couldn't get enough of the view and was in a daze admiring his wife cradling their unborn child.

"Henry" a sleepy voice said.

He didn't hear her, he was still daydreaming.

"Babe" she said again.

"Morning beautiful", giving her a kiss on the shoulder. "How did you sleep?"

"Good, thanks to you" she told him with a small smile. "But I don't feel well Henry ".

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned. He didn't know if it was as minor as having to get up and pee, or as serious as having to go to the hospital right now on the fly.

"I have a little bit of a headache, I feel nauseous, I hurt every where..." she lamented.

"What can I do babe, do you want me to call Dr. Smith? I can get you breakfast and a cup of tea, I can run you a warm bath...".

"Can you help me get up? I have to go to the bathroom" she told him, it was laced with some sarcasm, it seemed like that was all she ever did lately.

Henry got out of bed to walk around to her side and grabbed her hands to pull her up. With a grunt and a little force, she was up on her feet, face to face to her husband with her arms wrapped around his neck, she smiled gazing into his eyes. He was gazing back and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her hips, he gave her a quick peck before she waddled away to the bathroom. God she's beautiful, he thought to himself. She had other feelings.

Henry was in the bedroom, waiting for Elizabeth to finish in the washroom and to see if she was ready for breakfast. He didn't dare guess what she wanted to eat, he made sure it was something she wanted, always. He felt that she had been in the washroom for a while so he walked to the door, he was about to knock when he heard her. Oh god, he thought to himself. He could hear he dry heaving, he immediately went in to check on her and she was crouched up in front of the toilet, bracing it with her arms. She had tears streaming down her face, trying to catch her breath. Henry knelt beside her and pulled her hair up and rubbed her back. She had been so sick at the beginning of her pregnancy that he knew the drill well.

"its ok babe", his heart broke for his wife, she felt awful enough, she didn't need this, again. He wished he could trade places with her, so she didn't have to go through it.

She continued leaning against the porcelain thrown but had finally finished throwing up, she just rested her head on her arms on the edge of the toilet, henry was still on the floor next to her rubbing her back.

"Can I have a ginger ale please?" she asked, her voice still shaky.

"Of course, are you going to be ok if I go downstairs?" he asked her. He didn't want to leave her alone but he also wanted to get her whatever she wanted.

"I'll be fine, it's not like I can move anyway", she said with a short temper.

Henry got up and gave her a kiss on the temple, "I'll be right back".

He came back with a ginger ale, a few bread slices and some saltines, he wasn't sure she'd eat anything, or if she could even stomach it but just in case.

He was about to sit back down next to her but before he could, she asked him to help her up so she could wash her face and make her way back to bed. As she got up she froze and grabbed the bathroom counter, Henry had his right arm wrapped around her back side to give her a little extra support, his right hand touching her belly. When she froze, he could feel her pregnant belly clinch.

"you having a contraction babe?" he asked softly.

She hissed and let out a deep breath. It somehow felt different that it had before but it was just the one so she let it go.

She didn't give him an answer, she just nodded and slowly walked to the rocking chair in the corner of the bedroom.

He followed close behind, when she sat he handed her the ginger ale he had gotten and asked her to at least try to eat. She was not pleased but she knew he wouldn't let it go if she didn't. She forced a few crackers down, she wasn't entirely convinced they wouldn't come back up, but at least she tried.

In the rocking chair, she put up her feet on the foot stool, henry took this as an opportunity to rub her swollen feet, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Her face was flushed red and her hand was waving, trying to get some cool air. He got up and went to the bathroom, she wasn't sure why but he promptly returned with a cold wet cloth and gently laid it on her forehead before returning to giving her a foot rub.

It wasn't too long afterwards that she clutched her belly once more, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She hadn't said anything in a while, this is how he knew it was serious and she really wasn't feeling well. His wife was in labor, he just wondered if she was in denial. He didn't say a word, he just kept massaging her, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

"henry…", her voice was shaky, weak, on the verge of tears.

"yeah sweetheart?"

"I think we should time my contractions" she told him.

"Ok babe, I'll do that, you just have to tell me when they start and finish ok?". He was trying to stay calm but the realization that she was likely in labor for real, scared the shit out of him.

Her head was pounding, she felt like she was over heating, her back was killing her, she felt weak and shaky. She hadn't told Henry just how bad she was feeling, though she knew she should. He was nothing but supportive but she figured he would start stressing and she didn't want that.

Her contractions were getting stronger and closer together, Henry called Dr. Smith and they were advised to make their way to the hospital when Elizabeth's contractions were about 5 minutes apart or if Elizabeth starting to feel worse. At this point they were not concerned about her blood pressure, they had determined that It was likely stress induced and not pregnancy related so as along as she wasn't overly stressing, she would likely be fine.

Henry was timing her contractions and they were about 8 minutes apart. They had been getting pretty intense and she could not find a comfortable position, as hard as she tried. Henry was doing his best to be supportive and get her whatever she wanted. He was getting her cold compresses, rubbing her back and walking around the house with her. They had read that it could help speed up the process.

She was having a lot of back labor, she not only felt the contractions in her abdomen, but also in her lower back, her husband was doing the best he could but she had noticed that if henry applied pressure on her hips and lower back during contractions, it actually alleviated some of the pressure she was experiencing.

Henry, in his research during her pregnancy, had read that a warm bath could help during labor. He thought he would suggest it, but he wasn't sure she would go for it.

"Do you want to take a bath babe? I read that it might help with the pain", he suggested.

"I'll do anything." She said dryly.

They went back upstairs and he ran bath for her. Henry helped her undress and get into the tub. She tried to relax but her contractions were getting quite painful. Henry was sitting just outside the tub and was rubbing her belly.

"Is it helping?", he asked.

"Can you rub my back still?", she asked tentatively between contractions.

"anything for you sweetheart" he said with a smile.

It didn't take long for Henry to drop his clothing and get in the tub with his wife. He sat behind her and she was able to lean back against him while he was rubbing her back, her hips and her belly. This was the first time she could actually relax a little and not be in agonizing pain.

When the bath ran cold, they had made their way downstairs where she stopped in the living room. She had managed to kneel in front of the couch, resting her arms on the couch cushions and sitting on her knees on the living room floor. Henry was never far behind, ensuring she was going to be ok.

"I want the drugs" she stated between contractions.

Henry smiled a little but could understand why she would want something for the pain. He couldn't even start to imagine the pain his wife was experiencing and all he wanted to do was make it stop.

"if you want some drugs babe, we should go to the hospital" he told her.

"Mmmmm" she breathed.

"Everything is ready, we just have to get in the car. Dr. Smith is already aware that we'll be there soon, so when you're ready". He was still rubbing her back.

It was now about 6pm, Elizabeth and Henry were on the way to the hospital. They had called the Doctor and informed her they were on their way and that Elizabeth's contractions were 5 to 6 minutes apart, water hadn't broken yet so she figured they still had some time, she just wanted the epidural at this point. She was holding henry's hand, squeezing at as tightly as she could. Henry couldn't feel his fingers but he didn't dare say a word, the pain he was feeling was nothing in comparison to what she was currently going through and if squeezing his hand off was going to help manage her pain, then that's what was going to happen.

They made it to the hospital, got checked in and were sent to their room. Everything was set up and at this point they just had to hurry up and wait. The doctor assessed Elizabeth and concluded that she was doing very well but that she wasn't far along enough in labor to get the epidural just yet, she estimated at least a few more hours, or about 6cm dilated, after all that she was only 4 cm.

Elizabeth thought she was going to cry, all that time and work and this meant that she still had several hours to go. Henry was being as supportive as he could, he knew that was a big blow for her.

They were walking up and down the hallway of the hospital, he was still rubbing her back and feeding her ice chips, anything to help speed it up.

They made it to their way back to the room, Elizabeth was standing in front of her husband, he was waiting for a cue of what to do but it wasn't coming. He had his arms wrapped around her body, rubbing up and down. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, holding on tight. While she was having contractions, she would kneel and sway from side to side while holding on to Henry while taking deep breaths. Apparently, it was helping.

She eventually turned around and was leaning against the bed, she wanted henry to keep rubbing her back during contractions but he couldn't do that while she was hanging on for dear life on him.

Through it all, she didn't say much, that's how he knew she was in immense pain. She was usually talkative but most of the day she didn't day much. Henry kept whispering words of encouragement to her, telling her she was beautiful, that she was doing a great job, that he was so proud of her and to keep looking at the big picture, soon their baby girl would be here. He was willing the pain away for his wife, apparently, it worked because the doctor came in to reassess Elizabeth and determined she could get the drugs. Henry kind of wanted to laugh at her reaction but he knew that wouldn't go over well but that as the happiest and most energetic he had seen her all day.

After the epidural, she laid in bed and Henry was able to relax a little as well, the pain was minimal, she could only feel slight pressure during contractions and she was eternally grateful, so was henry, he didn't know how much longer he could watch his wife be in that much pain.


	9. Chapter 9

Henry had been able to make a few phone calls while Elizabeth was laboring at home, before they made it to the hospital. He called Will first and he was able to take a few days to fly out to visit his sister. Henry also called his parents to inform them, his mother would not have missed this for anything in the world. They were sitting in the waiting room together, impatiently waiting the new baby's arrival. They didn't want to disturb the couple, they were understanding of the intimate moment that this was, but they wanted an update. Henry hadn't been out to update them in a while, though his mother and Will understood that he did not want to leave his wife's side for anything. In a way it was sweet, in another, they wanted info on when the baby would arrive.

As restless as their family was in the waiting room, Henry and Elizabeth were experiencing it on a grander scale. Henry was by her side, holding her hand, telling her how great she was doing, how beautiful she was and comforting her that it was almost over. She didn't even care that he was full of shit, it was nice to hear when she felt so terrible.

She was sweaty, she hurt all over, even with the drugs, she was exhausted, she couldn't move. _God why did women do this_ , she thought to herself through this process. Henry was with her through every step of the way and she realized that she wouldn't be able to do this without him.

"Almost there babe, you got this beautiful", he whispered in her ear. He placed a cold cloth on her forehead and another on the back of her neck, holding her other hand as she was contracting again.

Dr. Smith walked in to check on Elizabeth, ensuring that she was dilating.

"God please tell me it's time to push. I don't know how much longer I can do this" she told the doctor. Henry Gave her a kiss, his way of trying to convince her she could do this.

"Let me check your cervix and we'll go from there ok?" Doctor Smith told her. She understood very well what Elizabeth was going through, she dealt with laboring women daily and she had done it a few times herself.

"You're about 9cm so it shouldn't be long now Elizabeth. It would be a good time to update your guests, they're getting a little restless out there" the doctor joked. "I'll be back soon to check you again, alright?"

Elizabeth gave her a nod of the head. "Thank you" Henry told her.

When the doctor left the room, Henry thought he should go see the family and give them an update, but he didn't want to leave Elizabeth at this point.

"It's fine Henry, go see them. They deserve an update."

"You sure babe? I don't care if we make them wait."

"Go, just make it quick, ok?" As she said this she was having another contraction and was gripping Henry's hand for dear life.

When the contraction passed, Henry went out to the waiting area and saw his parents and Will impatiently waiting.

As soon as they saw him they jumped up, thinking he had some good news to share. "SO!?" Will enthusiastically asked. Henry's mother chimed in, "how are mommy and baby?".

"No baby yet, Elizabeth is ok, but in pain, she just wants it to be over. She's about 9cm dilated so doctor says she should be ready to push soon" he informed them. They were a little disappointed, they had been there for several hours and they were thinking since they hadn't gotten an update in a few hours, Elizabeth had already had the baby and Henry was resting with them, though clearly this wasn't the case.

"That's my Lizzie, holding strong. Does she want to see anyone. I know I'm no you, but if you need a break…" Will trailed off. Henry was grateful for the offer, but he wouldn't be leaving his wife's side. "She's the strongest woman I know, and she is doing good but I don't think she's up for anyone around, but I'll ask her" Henry told him, knowing full well she would want nothing to do with her brother right now. "No, no, it's fine. I'll see her after, now get back in there before she loses her mind" he said while giving Henry a brotherly hug. Henry kissed his mother and shook his father's hand. The next time he would be seeing them, he was going to be a father.

When Henry walked back into Elizabeth's room, the doctor was back and Elizabeth was freaking out. "Henry, I swear to God. What the hell took you so long!?" she yelled through a contraction. He had done it now. He made his way to the side of her bad, taking her hand and giving her a kiss on the head, I'm sorry baby, everyone had a bunch of questions. They all send their love and they can't wait to meet our baby girl" he said with a smile.

"You're at 10cm Elizabeth, you ready to go?" the doctor chimed in.

She thought she was going to cry tears of joy, finally the time had come.

Elizabeth gave a few pushes but they weren't cutting it, Dr. Smith had suggested that Henry get in bed with Elizabeth to help support her, so he did.

Henry helped Elizabeth sit up right in the bed and he hopped on and slid behind her, pulling her back to lean against his chest. He took her hands in his and tucked his head in the crook of her neck. He whispered words of encouragement in her ear while Dr. Smith was telling her to push. With Henry bracing her, it didn't take long, a few big pushes, suddenly the pressure eased and she fell back on Henry, taking a few breaths. She was looking over at Dr. Smith and she was wondering why her baby wasn't crying but before she could verbalize her thoughts, they heard the tiny screams. Dr. Smith laid the baby down in Elizabeth's arms.

The married couple couldn't keep their eyes off the beautiful baby girl Elizabeth was holding, tears streaming down their faces.

"You did so good babe. She's beautiful", Henry whispered. Elizabeth couldn't form words, she just kept crying and staring down at her new baby. Suddenly, all the stress, the pain and the discomfort all went away, like nothing had every happened. She had never been so content than at this moment. Her husband holding her and both of them fawning over their new baby.

"I don't mean to interrupt the new family, but I should get her cleaned up. I promise I'll give her back alright?" said Dr. Smith.

Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to let her go just yet, she had just gotten here, she didn't want her to go away but she gave the doctor a nod. Dr. Smith took the baby and cleaned her up at the other side of the room, Henry was still holding Elizabeth and she wouldn't change it for the world.

"Henry… we have a baby" she said, just barely audible.

"I know babe. You're amazing sweetheart. I Love you.", he still had tears in his eyes. "I'm so proud of you." At this point, Dr. Smith returned with their daughter and handed her to her mother. She held her tightly in her arms with Henry fawning from behind. "I love you too" she quietly said, staring down at her new born baby.

"How are you feeling Elizabeth?" Dr. Smith inquired.

"Tired, but mostly I'm feeling euphoric joy" she told her.

"That's good, you should try to get some rest when you can" the doctor advised. "We'll be back to check on you and the baby so just take some time to relax."

Henry held his girls and he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He thought that he must have been the luckiest man in the world to be blessed with both his wife and his daughter. His mind was racing as he was staring down at his daughter. Elizabeth was in her mind as well, thinking how amazing her daughter was and she was only a few minutes old.


	10. Chapter 10

"IT'S A GIRL" he yelled as he walked into the waiting room. He saw many familiar faces sitting and waiting impatiently. Will was pacing the floor, his mother was saying a silent prayer while Henry was running into the room to make the announcement. As soon as they saw him they stood up and met him along the way, bombarding him with so many questions he could not understand what anyone was saying.

"Elizabeth is well, tired but well. She did amazing. Our baby girl is 6 pounds, 2 ounces and has some strong lungs already. Everyone is good" he said, while breathing a sigh of relief. His mother grabbed him in a hug and gave him a kiss, "I'm so happy for you! Now you better get back in there, you'll let us know when she's ready for visitors, we'll be here waiting." He gave Will and his father solid handshakes while they shared congratulations before he made his way back to the room with his girls. That thought was a lot for him to process right now, _his girls. Wow._

Henry walked back into the hospital room and Elizabeth was sitting up in bed holding her baby girl, telling her some stories, completely in her own little world. Henry stood at the door and listened for a few minutes before Elizabeth noticed him there.

"baby girl, you are so lucky to have your daddy. Before you were even here you had him wrapped around your little finger and just know that he would do anything for you. He's the greatest man I've ever know and we're so lucky to have him" she whispered to her new born daughter as she gave her a kiss.

Henry couldn't believe the sight that was in front of him, he was mesmerized. The vision of his gorgeous wife and his beautiful new born daughter was a lot to take in but hearing Elizabeth talk to her about how lucky they were, was what brought him over the edge. As he walked over to Elizabeth, tears in his eyes, voice cracking and he spoke, "I'm the lucky one babe, I couldn't ask for anything more perfect than this" he told her as he got into bed with his girls, wrapping one arm around his wife and the other holding his baby girls hand. He knew it was a reflex but the first time his baby girl held his finger, he knew he was done for, she had his heart. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he tucked his face in the crook of Elizabeth's neck, "thank you baby. You did so good." She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss, " _we_ did good babe".

They enjoyed their first moments as a family of three before they were interrupted by the doctor. "How's the new family doing?" she said while slowly walking in the room, Henry and Elizabeth barely noticing as they were enamored with their baby girl. "How is mom feeling?" she asked. She was tired, well really, tired didn't even begin to explain how she was feeling. "I'm OK" she told the doctor, "is she alright?" she questioned. "As far as I can tell she's perfectly healthy but we still have a few tests to run and we need to make sure you're doing alright as well. Can I have her for a few minutes?", she must have recognized the look on Elizabeth's face, she wasn't ready to let her precious baby girl go easily. "It won't be long, I promise" she told them confidently. After a few tests on the baby, everything being normal, the doctor returned. "Maybe dad can hold her while I check you out?" Henry didn't hesitate, he took his baby girl in his arms and held her close. Elizabeth couldn't look away, she always thought her husband was sexy, but there he was holding their baby girl, _fatherhood really suits him well, god he's hot_ , she thought to herself.

After a few minor tests on Elizabeth, the doctor suggested she try feeding her daughter, she was surprised that it came relatively easily, her baby girl latching without issue. Henry was a little awkward about the situation, he wasn't sure if he should look away and let her do what she was doing or if he should be there supporting her. "Henry, look, she's already a genius!" she excitedly told him. All he could do was laugh at her comment, he already knew is daughter was a genius, if she was anything like her mother, she would be a smart little girl.

After finishing her first feeding, all Elizabeth wanted was to get some sleep but she knew she had some impatient family members waiting to meet her daughter. Henry went to join them in the waiting room but he didn't know how to break it to them that he only wanted a few people in the room at a time, he knew Elizabeth was exhausted and was only trying to please everyone, if they had it their way, they'd be getting some rest right now. He knew his mother would want to be first to meet her grand-daughter but for his wife's sake, he wanted Will to meet his niece, his _god daughter,_ he knew it would mean a lot to Elizabeth.

As he walked in, everyone turned to his attention. "How is she… they?" Will inquired. "Amazing" he smiled back, "they're amazing". Before Henry could say anything, his mother pushed Will ahead and told him to go meet his niece. Henry couldn't believe what he witnessed, "Elizabeth needs her family there, go ahead son" as she shooed the boys away, not wanting to leave her daughter-in-law alone too long, "Will first, but I'm meeting her next" she told them as they were walking away.

As the boys walked over to Elizabeth's room, Henry told Will to go ahead without him, waiting to give the Adams a few minutes of family time.

As Will walked in, tears flowed, he couldn't believe his sister had just had a baby. "Lizzie, she's beautiful. She looks just like mom, don't you think" as he gave his sister and his niece a kiss on the head.

Elizabeth was in tears as soon as she saw Will walk in, she knew that had to be Henry's doing, and he left them some privacy. She shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow. So happy her brother was able to meet his niece but incredibly sad that her parents weren't there to witness it.

"Mom and dad would be so proud… so proud Lizzie" as more tears fell. "Can I hold her?"

Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to stop crying, "I'm sorry, I'm so emotional and I can't make it stop".

"Lizzie, you just had a baby, you're allowed to be emotional, it's an emotional time", trying to comfort her.

A few minutes went by and all he could do was stare at the new baby.

"Will?"

"Yeah, Lizzie?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything! What's wrong?", he was concerned.

"Nothing's wrong, well nothing that can be fixed…"

He knew what she meant and his heart broke that there was nothing he could do. It would be so much easier if their parents were still here.

"I wanted to know, well Henry and I wanted to know if you would be her God Father?"

"Lizzie, are you serious!?" he was so excited as his face lit up at her question. "Of course, I would be honored to be her God Father." He looked at the new born baby and whispered to her, "did you hear that? I'm your god father baby girl".

Henry decided that he had been away from his new family long enough and lightly knocked at the door, slowly making his way inside.

"Come in babe, it's OK" as tears streamed down her face.

Henry's heart broke, he knew it would be hard for her without her parents but it didn't make it easier when dealing with it. As he walked over to his wife, he noticed the tear stains on his brother-in-law's face, "so she asked you, did she?"

Will just nodded as he stared down at his god daughter. "I'm so happy for you too, you made a beautiful baby. Does she have a name yet?" he dared ask.

"No, not yet, we had a few names picked out and thought when we saw her we'd know but none of the names we had fit" Elizabeth explained, still emotional about the ordeal.

"That's alright, you still have time to decide. Take your time, I was just wondering what to call my niece.. umm.. god daughter" he corrected himself. "Anyway, there are a few other people waiting to meet her so I guess I'll give them their turn. I love you Lizzie, and you too beautiful" as he turned his attention to his niece before handing her back to her mother. "Congrats man, she's beautiful" he said as he shook Henry's hand, "take good care of them" he warned.

"I will. I'll make you that promise" he told him a matter of factly.

As Will walked down the hallway, Henry's mother saw him coming and she knew that was her queue, she and Patrick met Will down the corridor.

"Are they ready for more visitors?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, they're waiting for you two" he told them as he made his way back to the waiting room.

As Mary and Patrick entered the hospital room, they saw a picture-perfect moment, mom holding her new baby with dad protectively sitting next to his family on the bed.

Already teary eyes, Mary made her way to her ne grand-daughter. "Ohh. She's so beautiful Elizabeth. She's so perfect."

Patrick made his way to his wife, a little more hesitant. "Good work son" and gave him another solid hand shake. Typical Patrick Henry thought to himself.

"Here, you can hold her if you'd like" Elizabeth told her mother-in-law. Without hesitation Mary took the new born and paced around the room talking to her baby, Patrick not far behind enjoying the new baby's presence.

"How are you feeling dear?" her mother-in-law asked. "You must be tired but you look good Elizabeth."

"I'm very tired but so happy" she said with a smile.

"Henry said you did an amazing job" she told the new mom.

"Well Henry was pretty amazing through it all, I couldn't have done it without him" she said while eyeing her handsome husband. He couldn't help but smile, he was so proud of his new family.

They spent a few minutes together before the new grand-ma and grand-pa left Henry, Elizabeth and the new baby to rest. It didn't take long for Elizabeth to fall asleep. Henry held his new baby girl in his arms and fell asleep in the chair next to his wife's bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**I have posted the last 2 chapters of this story, sorry for the wait, got distracted by work, exams and just life in general.**

 **I had a hard time finishing up the story, I wasn't sure where I was going and how I wanted it to end so we ended up with this, hopefully its ok.**

 **Thanks so much for all the comments and for those who reading don't comment, thank you for taking the time!**

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They had been in the hospital for two days and they were finally ready to head back home as a family of three. Elizabeth and the baby had gotten the all clear and everyone was happy and healthy.

As they were packing their belongings and strapping the baby into the car seat, Elizabeth was staring at her new creation. Henry interrupted her thoughts when he asked her what was wrong. "Nothing, it's just…", she signed, "did we pick the right name?"

"are you doubting the name we chose?"

"I don't know, well maybe. Henry, her name could determine her future, what if it's not good enough for her" she said, clearly doubting their choice.

"Babe, Stephanie is a great name. It's feminine but strong, just like her mother" he told her with a smile. "It's my favourite name from the list, I think we did good" he told her, "you did good".

"You're sure?" she questioned.

"I'm sure babe" as he gave her a quick peck on the lips. "You ready to go?"

She took a deep breath, "as ready as I'll ever be I guess". She was doubting herself. What if she couldn't care for this baby once they got home? What if she would do something wrong and something happened to her? She's so precious, she doesn't want to hurt her. She was entering panic mode. Henry noticed, he put the baby carrier down and took her in his arms and hugged her tight "babe, don't worry, we're in this together OK? We're both learning." He knew her so well that she didn't have to tell him her doubts, he just knew.

"How do you know everything?" she asked him smartly. "Do you promise that she won't hate me?" knowing that eventually time would come in the teenage years.

"Babe I can't promise that, but I know we'll do the best we can, now let's go, it's not going to get easier the longer we wait" he joked.

They made it home, Henry driving as slow as an old lady on a Sunday afternoon, in fear that something would happen when his baby girl in the car. They eventually made it home and he settled Elizabeth and Stephanie on the couch before he went up to gather a few things. Elizabeth was still exhausted and he figured it would be easier if everything was on the main floor for her, for at least this evening. He grabbed some diapers, some wipes, a few onesies, and some comfy PJs for Elizabeth to get comfortable. He made it back down and Elizabeth was gazing down at the car seat with tears streaming down her face. Henry ran over and took her in his arms, "what's wrong babe? Are you in pain?" She managed to take a breath and spat out a weak "no". It took her a few seconds but she was finally able to tell him what she was thinking, "she's so perfect Henry, and we made her" she eventually told him. Now he understood, it was hormones. "yeah babe, we made her" he whispered in her ear as he held her close, being as supportive as he could. They spent the next few minutes admiring their new miracle before she started squirming and whining. Time for another feeding.

The first few days at home were overwhelming. Stephanie was inconsolable and the new parents didn't know what to do, luckily Henry's parents had stayed in town a couple days and they were able to guide Elizabeth and Henry. It took some time, but they were able to decipher the various cries that Stephanie would emit and could figure out what she needed. They had read that in the books but they didn't believe it until Mary had pointed it out.

Elizabeth was still emotional and every time the baby cried, she cried. She felt she was failing as a mother because she couldn't console her daughter. The feeling of failure, helplessness and guilt plagued her on a daily basis, Henry did his best to encourage her but there was little he could do. What Elizabeth really wanted was her mother. It was great that Mary was there and she was incredibly grateful for everything Mary and Patrick had done in the days after Stephanie's birth but it wasn't the same.

After about a week, they were able to fall in a routine. Henry had taken a few weeks off work, it worked out well that it was end of semester as well and had some down time during his grad studies. He was still working on his research but he could put it on hold for a little while without issue. Elizabeth was finally starting to enjoy her maternity leave, now that she wasn't confined to a bed and she could move around. She was still feeling the discomforts of post-pregnancy on her body but it was getting much better.

Elizabeth and Henry entertained many guests in the weeks following their daughter's birth, Elizabeth's friends and co-workers visited as well as Henry's friends from the university and the Marines. His family had stayed in town for a few days after Stephanie was born and were a great help to the new parents but they had to return home to Pittsburg too quickly for the new parents' liking but they made due.

Stephanie was now 3 weeks old. She was eating like a champ, Henry would often reference her being just like her mother in that area, Elizabeth took offence to his comments but knew he was just joking around. She wasn't sleeping as much as they would have liked but she gave them a few hours of sleep a night When the baby would cry, Elizabeth would hand her over to her father, during her pregnancy, he was the baby whisperer and he was now using those skills regularly to calm down his baby girl.

They continued their routine for the next few weeks, Henry eventually went back to work and Elizabeth was home with the baby on her own. It was another adjustment but she took on the task like a pro. Henry found himself in awe of the mother she had become, he always knew she had a nurturing personality but there was nothing as perfect as seeing the love of his life take care of his preciously perfect baby girl.

While he was at work, Elizabeth missed having her husband and partner in crime by her side, he was always so supportive but when he was home, he was so attentive to her needs, to his daughter's needs and he would do anything that his girls needed from him. Elizabeth couldn't believe that her husband could get any sexier but seeing him be a father to their baby girl was the most amazing and sexy thing in the world. She admired him anytime she could, and he did the same, only having eyes for their new beautiful family.

 _ **La fin**_


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